The invention is directed to a coupling mechanism for coupling together male and female members. One example where such a coupling mechanism has previously been proposed is in a ratchet wrench having a square male driver end to receive a square female aperture in a socket wrench. In such case a spring urged detent ball has been used in the male tool driver end to engage a lateral recess in the wall of the female socket wrench. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,467,231. A quick release for relieving the detent ball pressure and, hence, relieving the socket wrench has been suggested in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,208,318 and 3,532,013. In these latter two patents a manually movable longitudinal pin was utilized to effect the release. This necessitated a short driver end to accommodate the longitudinal pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,136,190 showed a laterally movable detent but this was in the female member to hold a male tool. Similar structures were proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,107,581 and 2,500,420.
The problem to be solved, therefore, is how to construct a coupling mechanism for a male and female member wherein the coupling mechanism may be used with a long male member such as a shaft wherein it is impracticable to provide in the shaft a long longitudinal pin which may be directly manually actuated.